Social Impact & Partnerships
Genel is a passionate advocate of social change who is committed to leaving the world better than she met it. She believes art and creativity can be utilized to drive social impact.
In 2018, she founded GOOD MIRRORS, a cultural institution committed to impacting culture, education and technology through storytelling and community empowerment initiatives in order to undo the harm of racial and gender stigmas that Black women and girls face daily. In the video Genel is speaking about her social art practice, GOOD MIRRORS, at the New Museum.
Genel co-curated WITNESS, a visual arts exhibition, with Tina Knowles Lawson. The eight-week immersive experience featured the works of fifteen Black femme-identifying artists who project their vision of the world, society, and themselves through art. WITNESS was created in partnership with Black Women Photographers and supported in part by Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures. — Learn more here
Press: LA Times, Elle Magazine, LA Times DRIP Report. Ebony Magazine, ESSENCE Magazine, LA Sentinel, Black Enterprise
Genel created a web platform called TRUTH to combat algorithmic bias faced by Black women and girls online. TRUTH aims to share “truths” (positive stories) and affirmations created by Black women and girls for Black women and girls. Genel is one of ten international recipients of the Mozilla Creative Media Award in support of this endeavor. TRUTH is also supported by Meta Open Arts and New Inc. — Learn more here
Mozilla Creative Media Award Announcement: 10 Projects Rethinking Data Stewardship
Genel partnered with SheaMoisture to create the Emerging Visionary Grant Program, a 50k opportunity for Black women creatives around the United States.
Inspired by the wisdom of Black women artists, Genel created MIRROR WORK an affirmation card deck featuring bespoke affirmations that encourage self-discovery.
— Website coming soon